Roll Call has labeled his seat as one of the 10 most vulnerable in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Nevada State Democratic Party has loaded up against him, sending four candidates — a deep-pocketed philanthropist, a former speaker of the state assembly, a state senator and a former assemblywoman — to try and knock him out of Washington, D.C.

The response from Cresent Hardy’s campaign: Bring it on.

“Most of the political intelligentsia wrote off Rep. Hardy two years ago in his first race for Congress, so facing a tough campaign is nothing new,” Hardy’s campaign manager Ross Hemminger told the Desert Valley Times on Monday. “Congressman Hardy’s message appeals to Nevada voters because they understand that he knows Nevada and what needs to be done for Nevada to be its absolute best.”

A surprise winner in Nevada’s 4th Congressional District in November 2014, when he topped Democratic incumbent Steven A. Horsford by three points, Hardy is widely considered vulnerable in this election cycle since he’s a Republican in a district that is generally regarded as leaning to the left.

In fact, Barack Obama carried District 4 by a whopping 11 points in the 2012 presidential election, a point used by Roll Call to support its claim that Hardy’s seat could be in jeopardy. The Washington, D.C.,-based newspaper also reported that “Democrats saw historically low turnout in the Silver State” during the 2014 election, another point that likely assisted Hardy’s campaign.

“Four Democrats are running for the nomination to face Hardy,” Roll Call reported in November, when Hardy was listed as one of seven Republicans facing potentially long odds of winning re-election. “And it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Democratic primary contest is the more competitive race in this seat in 2016.”

The state Democrats roundly criticized Hardy in an email to the DVT on Monday, labeling him as “out of touch” and expressing confidence that one of their four candidates would claim victory in November’s general election.

“Congressman Cresent Hardy has the wrong priorities, and his record reflects how out of touch his extreme agenda is with the people he’s supposed to represent,” wrote Stewart Boss, press secretary for the Nevada State Democratic Party. “Hardy thinks Yucca Mountain is a great area for a nuclear waste dump, supports reckless proposals that slash Medicare and Social Security, and opposes comprehensive immigration reform that would strengthen our economy. He agrees with corporate layoff specialist Mitt Romney that 47 percent of the American people are freeloaders who don’t pay taxes, and he’s committed to protecting tax breaks for the wealthy and blocking a minimum wage increase."

Also, Boss wrote, “We're confident that Nevada Democrats will take back this seat in November, so middle class families in the 4th District will once again have a voice fighting for them.”

Hardy’s supporters know he’s in for a fight, too.

“I like Cresent,” said Ira Hansen, a Sparks Republican who has represented District 32 in the Nevada State Assembly since 2011. “But, he does have a very tough election cycle coming up.”

A political newcomer, Susie Lee, is the strongest financial challenger for Hardy’s seat, according to fundraising reports released over the weekend. Her campaign reported more than $210,000 in fundraising in the past three months, including a $50,000 loan to herself, boosting her to about $647,000 on hand.

The campaign for State Sen. Ruben Kihuen (District 10) reported $170,000 in the final quarter of 2015, pushing his on-hand total to about $373,000. One of the Democratic Party’s 718 superdelegates, Kihuen has come out in support of Clinton in the 2016 presidential scramble.

Former Nevada Assembly Speaker John Oceguera’s campaign reported raising $103,000 last quarter, including a $50,000 loan from himself. His on-hand total is about $204,000.

Former Assemblywoman Lucy Flores, who has endorsed Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders for president, has about $84,000 on hand after raising $51,000 last quarter, according to her campaign.

On Monday, Nevada political expert Jon Ralston reported on his blog, ralstonreports.com, that Hardy had $660,000 on hand.

“And he doesn’t have to spend anything until after the primary,” Ralston wrote.

How serious are the Democrats about reclaiming this congressional seat?

Even Clinton, the former Secretary of State who is engaged in an increasingly spirited contest with Sanders for the Democratic presidential nomination, has thrown her weight behind the party’s quest to unseat Hardy.

During a stump speech last month in Las Vegas, Clinton told the crowd, “You even have a Republican Congressman, Mr. Hardy, who says that Mitt Romney was right about the 47 percent and that people with disabilities are, and I quote him, ‘a drain on society.’”

“It shows the desperation of Rep. Hardy’s opponents that they bring in out-of-state liberals to smear him with baseless and absurd attacks,” Hemminger said.

Political lobbyist Paul Enos, CEO of the Reno-based Nevada Trucking Association, told the DVT on Monday that he understands the Democrats’ charge — “If I were them, I would being doing the same thing,” he said — but is convinced Hardy is right for Nevada.

“Cresent has a common sense and a humility about him that you don’t find with most politicians,” Enos said. “Cresent doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, but he’ll listen and then ask, ‘How can I make this work for you?’ He’s just one of the most honest, hard-working, down-to-earth people you’ll meet – and that’s pretty rare for a member of Congress.”

He added, “I do hope he comes back and continues to represent Nevada.”

District 4 covers northern Clark County, including Mesquite, North Las Vegas and all or parts of six rural Nevada counties.

The Democratic primaries are June 14. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Steve Kiggins on Twitter, @scoopskiggy. Call him at 435-674-6230.